Aston Villa has signed a “tempt” of £150m star.
Emile Smith Rowe, an Arsenal attacking midfielder, could be interested in joining Aston Villa during the January transfer window.
Emile Smith Rowe could be interested in a move to Aston Villa in the winter of 2024, as revealed by transfer expert Dean Jones.
The Villans are off to a flying start under Unai Emery in both the Premier League and the Europa Conference League, and they will be hoping to keep up the momentum into the New Year.
The Villans have invested heavily in the last couple of transfer windows, and they could do the same again in the winter transfer window if they want to qualify for the Champions League in 2024/25.
At Arsenal, Smith Rowe has been struggling to stay fit and secure regular first-team opportunities.
The high transfer value of Smith Rowe
The 26-year-old has been out of action since October following a knee injury sustained in training, when he made his first start in the Premier League in 524 days, a 5-0 drubbing of Sheffield United at Emirates Stadium.
He was set to make his return in the next match, but was ruled out of action for the clash with West Ham United and has since been out of action.
As for the injury itself, Arteta said Smith Rowe will be out for “weeks” and was “frustrated” by the setback. But the Spaniard also expressed his optimism that the former European U21 champion will be back before the season is out.
Since the turn of the new year, Smith Rowe has been in and out of the first team, making only 14 appearances last season as Arsenal almost won their first top-flight title for 19 years.
It’s no surprise, then, that Premier League clubs have been interested in his services.
The Northern Echo reported in October 2023 that Newcastle United are looking to move for him in the winter transfer window of 2024.
The same publication reported Arsenal are valued at £50 million for their academy product, meaning the Magpies will need to be creative in order to get a deal done, given their FPL concerns.
It was reported in June that both Brighton and West Ham were interested in signing Smith Rowe, while Villa, under Dean Smith, have been linked with him in the past.
According to journalist Paul Brown, Arteta has spoken to Smith Rowe about the future and the Spaniard has confirmed to the talented player that he is still a part of the plans at the Emirates, Brown reported on 5 October.
| Emile Smith-Rowe – Premier League career in numbers | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Yellow cards | Red cards |
| 2019-20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 20 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 33 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Stats according to Transfermarkt | |||||
Dean Jones has revealed that Smith Rowe is “absolutely convinced” that he wants to stay at Arsenal, but he believes the situation will come to a point when the attacking midfielder will have to make a decision. A transfer insider has suggested that the three-time England international could find a move to Aston Villa “exciting”, according to Jones.
Villa could be an interesting option for Smith Rowe as he is still not getting a chance to test himself at Arsenal. Given the level Villa have risen to, I think it could have a slightly different perspective if you were someone like Smith Rowe who is on the periphery and knows he’s not going to be a big part of Arsenal’s plans in the near future.
He could see Villa as an exciting option and see himself as a bigger part of the club than he is at Arsenal. At some point, it could be tempting for the player. He’s been very insistent that he wants to stay at Arsenal, but there will come a time when he’ll have to make a decision and Villa could be the team that catches his eye.
As the winter transfer market approaches, Aston Villa must ponder their next move as they look to secure their place in the Champions League for the 2024/25 season.
According to 90min, Villa will remain firm in their pursuit of Douglas Luiz, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City all interested in the Brazil international.
However, a deal with Arsenal for Luiz could be the key to bringing Smith Rowe to Villa Park, with the former European Cup winners potentially willing to negotiate with the north London champions.
Football Insider has also reported that Villa are interested in Athletic Bility striker Inaki Williams, with Emery a big admirer of the Ghana international after spending time in La Liga alongside him.
The striker’s age is not regarded as a major issue, with the Villa manager wanting someone ready to be thrust straight into the Premier League.
A move for Williams could allow Villa to send on loan Jhon Duran, who is said to have fallen out with Emery over limited opportunities throughout 2023/24.
